Coincidentally, a letter of resignation from a teacher in New York has gone viral after the teacher’s lengthy emotional description of the profession.

Gerald J. Conti, a social studies teacher at Westhill High School in Syracuse, N.Y., submitted his letter of resignation after enduring 40+ years of teaching teens. He speaks out against school reforms that he believes are demeaning the noble profession, and eloquently describes his disappointment, stating:

With regard to my profession, I have truly attempted to live John Dewey’s famous quotation (now likely cliché with me, I’ve used it so very often) that “Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself.”

This type of total immersion is what I have always referred to as teaching “heavy,” working hard, spending time, researching, attending to details and never feeling satisfied that I knew enough on any topic. I now find that this approach to my profession is not only devalued, but denigrated and perhaps, in some quarters despised.

In light of the APS cheating scandal, it’s interesting to read an educator’s take on how “data driven” education and “standardized” testing has affected both teachers and students.

If you have some time on your hands, take a moment to read this H.S. teacher’s thoughts on what could possibly be a dying profession… Continue Reading…